Play apparatus

ABSTRACT

A support ( 10 ) for a play apparatus is disclosed comprising a plurality of legs ( 20, 30, 40, 50 ), each leg ( 20, 30, 40, 50 ) having an elongate base member for contacting the ground and an elongate support member arranged substantially perpendicularly to the base member. Each support member is hingably connected to another support member such that the legs are movable between an erected position in which the support members define an opening ( 60 ) for engagement with the play apparatus and the base members extend outwardly from the opening ( 60 ), and a folded position in which the base members are substantially parallel to each other. A play apparatus ( 100 ) is also disclosed comprising a support ( 10 ) according to the invention in the erected position, a play apparatus support member ( 110 ) which is closely received within the opening ( 60 ), and a play apparatus structure mounted on the play apparatus support member ( 110 ).

This invention relates to play apparatus and in particular to playapparatus such as roundabouts which are easily foldable for compactstorage.

Large play apparatus such as roundabouts are conventionally intended foroutdoor use due to the problem of storage. In particular, roundaboutstypically remain erected once assembled. Conventional roundabouts aretherefore manufactured to be resistant to erosion from the weather,which is often costly.

Storable roundabouts are difficult to produce principally because of thedifficulty in producing a support for the roundabout that may be easilydismantled and stored, yet is also strong and durable enough to supporta roundabout. In addition, the support must be large enough to give theroundabout stability in use.

Roundabouts have been produced which include a ratchet mechanism wherebya child can rotate the roundabout by exerting force on a lever whilstseated on the roundabout. Such roundabouts are not easily stored due tothe large support required and the complex dismantling process.

There have now been devised improvements to supports for play apparatusand to play apparatus incorporating such supports, which overcome orsubstantially mitigate the above-mentioned or other disadvantages of theprior art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided asupport for a play apparatus, the support comprising a plurality oflegs, each leg having an elongate base member for contacting the groundand an elongate support member arranged substantially perpendicularly tothe base member, each support member being hingably connected to anothersupport member such that the legs are movable between an erectedposition in which the support members define an opening for engagementwith the play apparatus and the base members extend outwardly from theopening, and a folded position in which the base members aresubstantially parallel to each other.

The support according to the present invention is advantageousprincipally because of the ease in which the support may be folded intoa compact form that is suitable for storage. In addition, a small numberof fixing points would be required to secure the support in the erectedposition, which further improves the ease of use. The foldability of thesupport renders the play apparatus with which it is used suitable forindoor or outdoor use. The play apparatus can therefore have a lowerresistance to weather erosion thereby lowering manufacturing costs.

In a preferred embodiment, the play apparatus is a roundabout,particularly a roundabout that can be rotated by one or more users whilesitting on the roundabout, eg by operating a ratchet mechanism asdescribed below.

The legs are preferably secured in the erected position by at least onefixing means which preferably secure together legs that are adjacent inthe erected position. The fixing means preferably secures adjacentsupport members together when the support is in the erected position. Asupport member may include a plurality of fixing means which arepreferably spaced apart along the length of support member. The fixingmeans is preferably a bracket on a support member with a bolt passingtherethrough and engaging with an adjacent support member. Alternativefixing means include a clip or hook located on a support member whichmay releasably captivate an adjacent support member. The fixing meansare preferably located on the support member at either end of the hingedconnections.

The support and base members are preferably integrally formed. The legsmay be formed of any suitably strong and durable material, which ispreferably a metal and most preferably steel. The legs preferably have abox-section, thereby reducing the weight of the legs. The base membersof the legs preferably include feet which may be disc-shaped to provideadditional stability to the support.

In the erected position, the opening is preferably of a non-circularsectional shape such that any member of similar sectional shape that isclosely received within the opening will be prevented from rotating withrespect to the support. The support members preferably have flat facessuch that, in the erected position, the opening is of polygon section.The support members are preferably of square section and the supportpreferably comprises four legs such that a square section opening isdefined of preferably similar sectional dimensions to the supportmembers.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a playapparatus comprising a support according to the present invention in theerected position, a play apparatus support member which is closelyreceived within the opening, and a play apparatus structure mounted onthe play apparatus support member.

The opening and the play apparatus support member are preferably of noncircular sectional shape such that the play apparatus support member isprevented from rotating with respect to the support. The support membersof the legs and the play apparatus support member are preferably ofsquare section and the support preferably comprises four legs such thata square section opening is defined of preferably similar sectionaldimensions to the play apparatus support member.

Where the play apparatus is a roundabout, the play apparatus structurepreferably includes a mechanism which is operably linked to the playapparatus support member. Such a mechanism preferably allows a child,who is supported by the play apparatus structure, to impart a rotationalforce on the play apparatus structure with respect to the play apparatussupport member and hence the support. The mechanism preferably includesa ratchet but the mechanism may be any which allows a child to impart aforce as hereinbefore described.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way ofillustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a stand according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a frontal view of the stand of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a central portion of the stand onan enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a central portion of the stand onan enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of the stand in a folded arrangement;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of the stand in a folded arrangement;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the folded stand of FIGS. 5 and 6; and

FIG. 8 is an exploded frontal view of a roundabout according to thepresent invention.

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a stand according to the presentinvention is generally designated 10 and comprises four legs20,30,40,50. The stand may be formed of any suitably strong and durablematerial and preferably a metal. In such a case, the attached componentsare commonly welded together.

The legs 20,30,40,50 are formed from square-section hollow tubes withrounded longitudinal edges. The legs 20,30,40,50 each comprise astraight base member which arcs at one end to form a shorter straightupright member perpendicularly aligned with respect to the base member.The two side faces of each leg 20,30,40,50 are flat.

The legs 20,30,40,50 of the stand are orientated so that the basemembers are substantially parallel to the supporting surface and theupright members are vertically aligned. The legs 20,30,40,50 arearranged so that the upright members are adjacent each other, therebyforming a central support, and the base members extend outwardly fromthe central support at right angles to each other. The open end of eachbase member includes a plug 15 of plastics material. Each leg20,30,40,50 is typically 350 mm in height and 900 m in length. Thesquare-section hollow tube from which each leg 20,30,40,50 is formed hastypical sectional dimensions of 25 mm by 25 mm. Each base memberincludes a removable foot 16 of a disc shape which contacts thesupporting surface, thereby giving the stand additional support.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the legs 20,30,40,50 of the stand form avertical square-section opening 60 at the interface of the uprightmembers. The opening 60 is of similar sectional dimensions to the legs20,30,40,50.

The upright member of leg 40 is connected to the upright member of leg50 by a pair of hinges 51. Each hinge 51 comprises an upper cylinder 52which is fixed to leg 50 and a lower cylinder 53 which is fixed to leg40. The cylinders 52,53 are juxtaposed and have a longitudinal borethrough which a bolt 54 extends. The bolt 54 is fixed within the uppercylinder 52 and is rotatable within the lower cylinder 53. The bolt 54extends beyond the lower edge of the lower cylinder 53 and includes anaperture through which a pin 56 passes. A washer 55 is mounted on thebolt 54 between the lower cylinder 53 and the pin 55. The pin 55restricts the longitudinal movement of the bolt 54 within the lowercylinder 53. Similarly, leg 30 is connected to leg 40 by a pair ofhinges 41 and leg 20 is connected to leg 30 by a pair of hinges 31.

Leg 20 includes a pair of spaced apart fixing brackets 21. Each fixingbracket 21 has a vertically aligned plate with a bolt hole. Leg 50includes a pair of corresponding bolt holes which are in registrationwith the bolt holes of the fixing brackets 21. A pair of fixingcylinders 59, each with a threaded bore, are located within leg 50 andorientated so that each threaded bore is aligned with corresponding boltholes of the leg 50 and the fixing bracket 21. Each fixing bracket 21and corresponding bolt hole of leg 50 has a threaded bolt 22 passingtherethrough and engaging with the threaded bore of the respectivefixing cylinder 59, thereby fixing legs 20 and 50 together. Othersuitable methods of removably fixing legs 20 and 50 together could beused such as using nuts and bolts, clips or hooks.

Turning now to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the stand 15 is easily folded byremoving the pair of bolts 22 and rotating the legs 20,30,40,50 so thatthe base members of the legs 20,30,40,50 are substantially parallel andadjacent to each other. The ease with which the stand 15 is folded is asignificant advantage of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a roundabout according to the present inventionis generally designated 100 and comprises the stand 10, a centralsupport 110, a disc 111 fixed at the upper end of the central support110, a ratchet mechanism 120, two operating levers 121, a cross arm 130and two chairs 131. The roundabout 100 is commonly formed in a materialsimilar to that of the stand 10. The chairs 131 are preferably mouldedin a plastics material.

The central support 110 is a square-section hollow tube of slightlysmaller sectional dimensions to the legs 20,30,40,50. The centralsupport 110 is closely received, along arrow 115, within the opening 60and the disc 111 is supported by the ends of the upright members of thelegs 20,30,40,50. The shape of the central support 110 and the opening60 prevents rotation of the central support 110 within the stand 10.

The central support 110 and the two operating levers 121 are operablyconnected to the ratchet mechanism 120 such that anticlockwise rotation(viewed from above) of the two operating levers 121 with respect to thecentral support 110 and the stand 10 is permitted but clockwise rotationis prevented. The chairs 131 are fastened to either end of the cross arm130 and aligned so as to face anticlockwise (viewed from above). Thecentre of the cross arm 130 is pivotally mounted within the ratchetmechanism 120 and is free to rotate in a horizontal plane. A ratchetmechanism 120 that functions as hereinbefore described is conventionaland well known in the art. The ratchet mechanism 120 could be replacedby any other mechanism that performs this same function.

In use, a child sits in a chair 131 and exerts force on the operatinglever 121 towards the child. Since clockwise rotation of the levers 121with respect to the central support 110 is prevented, the force exertedon the levers 121 causes the cross arm 130 to rotate anticlockwise withrespect to the central support 110. The lever 121 is then held either bythe child or by the cross arm 130 abutting a stop 122 located on theratchet mechanism 120. The lever 121 therefore rotates anticlockwisewith the cross arm 130. Subsequent force exerted on the lever 121 by thechild in a clockwise direction with respect to the central support 110will exert a further rotational force on the cross arm 130. The twochairs 131 and levers 121 allow two users to operate the roundabout 100simultaneously.

1. A support for a play apparatus, the support comprising a plurality oflegs, each leg having an elongate base member for contacting the groundand an elongate support member arranged substantially perpendicularly tothe base member, each support member being hingably connected to anothersupport member such that the legs are movable between an erectedposition in which the support members define an opening for engagementwith the play apparatus and the base members extend outwardly from theopening, and a folded position in which the base members aresubstantially parallel to each other.
 2. A support as claimed in claim1, wherein the legs are secured in the erected position by at least onefixing device.
 3. A support as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fixingdevice secures adjacent support members together when the support is inthe erected position.
 4. A support as claimed in claim 3, wherein asupport member includes a plurality of fixing device spaced apart alongthe length of the support member.
 5. A support as claimed in claim 3,wherein the fixing device is a bracket on a support member with a boltpassing therethrough and engaging with an adjacent support member.
 6. Asupport as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fixing device includes a clipor hook located on a support member which releasably captivates anadjacent support member.
 7. A support as claimed in claim 3, wherein thefixing device is located on the support members at either end of thehinged connections.
 8. A support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the legshave a box-section.
 9. A support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the basemembers of the legs include feet to provide additional stability to thesupport.
 10. A support as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the erectedposition, the opening is of a non-circular sectional shape.
 11. Asupport as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support members have flatfaces such that, in the erected position, the opening is of polygonsection.
 12. A support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supportmembers are of square section and the support comprises four legs suchthat a square section opening is defined.
 13. A play apparatuscomprising a support according to claim 1 in the erected position, aplay apparatus support member which is closely received within theopening, and a play apparatus structure mounted on the play apparatussupport member.
 14. A play apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein theopening and the play apparatus support member are of non circularsectional shape such that the play apparatus support member is preventedfrom rotating with respect to the support.
 15. A play apparatus asclaimed in claim 14, wherein the support members of the legs and theplay apparatus support member are of square section and the supportcomprises four legs such that a square section opening is defined.
 16. Aplay apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the play apparatus is aroundabout.
 17. A play apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein theplay apparatus structure includes a mechanism which is operably linkedto the play apparatus support member.
 18. A play apparatus as claimed inclaim 17, wherein the mechanism allows a child, who is supported by theplay apparatus structure, to impart a rotational force on the playapparatus structure with respect to the play apparatus support memberand hence the support.
 19. A play apparatus as claimed in claim 18,wherein the mechanism includes a ratchet.